Unmanned vehicle control and operation in a marine environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10725469-B2
Application number	US-201816001384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2018
Priority date	Oct 13, 2016
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

Many different types of systems are utilized or tasks are performed in a marine environment. The present invention provides various configurations of unmanned vehicles, or drones, that can be operated and/or controlled for such systems or tasks. One or more unmanned vehicles can be integrated with a dedicated marine electronic device of a marine vessel for autonomous control and operation. Additionally or alternatively, the unmanned vehicle can be manually remote operated during use in the marine environment. Such unmanned vehicles can be utilized in many different marine environment systems or tasks, including, for example, navigation, sonar, radar, search and rescue, video streaming, alert functionality, among many others. However, as contemplated by the present invention, the marine environment provides many unique challenges that may be accounted for with operation and control of an unmanned vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An unmanned vehicle for a marine environment, wherein the unmanned vehicle is controllable by a marine electronic device of a marine vessel traveling on a surface of a body of water, the unmanned vehicle comprising:
a location sensor configured to gather location data corresponding to the unmanned vehicle;
a propulsion system configured to propel the unmanned vehicle;
at least one operational component configured to gather operational data, wherein the operational component comprises at least one of a sensor configured to obtain sensor data or a camera configured to obtained camera data;
a transmitter configured to transmit data to the marine electronic device;
a receiver configured to receive instructions from the marine electronic device;
a processor; and
a memory including computer program product stored thereon, wherein the computer program product is configured, when executed by the processor, to:
determine location data indicative of a current location of the unmanned vehicle;
transmit the location data to the marine electronic device;
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device, wherein the control signal includes instructions to travel to a desired location relative to the marine vessel and perform a search for one or more objects or hazards in the body of water by receiving operational data corresponding to the desired location;
cause the propulsion system to propel the unmanned vehicle to the desired location;
receive operational data from the at least one operational component, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of sensor data or camera data, wherein the operational data corresponds to the one or more objects or hazards in the body of water at the desired location; and
transmit the operational data to the marine electronic device.

2. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to receive a series of control signals from the marine electronic device, wherein each control signal includes instructions to travel to a new desired location so as to cause the unmanned vehicle to autonomously follow a planned route stored in the memory of the marine electronic device.

3. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
determine a location corresponding to one of a current location or a future location of the marine vessel; and
cause the propulsion system to cause the unmanned vehicle to travel to the location corresponding to the one of the current location or the future location of the marine vessel such that the unmanned vehicle returns to the marine vessel.

4. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is a sonar system configured to collect sonar data from an underwater environment, wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device with instructions to gather sonar data;
cause the sonar system to gather sonar data;
determine location data associated with the gathered sonar data; and
transmit the gathered sonar data and the location data associated with the gathered sonar data to the marine electronic device for display of the sonar data on a screen of the marine electronic device and association of the location of the unmanned vehicle with the gathered sonar data.

5. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
cause the camera to gather camera data in the form of streaming video;
determine location data associated with the gathered camera data; and
transmit the gathered camera data and the location data associated with the gathered camera data to the marine electronic device for display of the streaming video on a screen of the marine electronic device and association of the location of the unmanned vehicle with the gathered camera data.

6. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is a wind sensor configured to gather wind data including at least wind speed and wind direction, wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
cause the wind sensor to gather wind data;
determine location data associated with the gathered wind data; and
transmit the gathered wind data and the location data associated with the gathered wind data to the marine electronic device for association of the location of the unmanned vehicle with the gathered wind data.

7. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the unmanned vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle such that the propulsion system is configured to cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly around the marine environment.

8. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the unmanned vehicle is an unmanned surface vehicle such that the propulsion system is configured to cause the unmanned surface vehicle to travel along a surface of the body of water of the marine environment.

9. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the unmanned vehicle is an unmanned underwater vehicle such that the propulsion system is configured to cause the unmanned underwater vehicle to travel beneath a surface of the body of water of the marine environment.

10. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of a sonar system, a radar system, a microphone, a temperature sensor, a wind sensor, a heave/roll sensor, or an IR sensor.

11. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
receive a landing control signal from the marine electronic device with instructions to land on the marine vessel while the marine vessel is travelling along a surface of a body of water, wherein the landing control signal includes a location of the marine vessel, a direction of travel of the marine vessel, and a speed of travel of the marine vessel; and
cause the propulsion system to propel the unmanned vehicle, based on the location of the marine vessel, the speed of travel of the marine vessel, and the direction of travel of the marine vessel, to land on the marine vessel.

12. The unmanned vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the landing control signal from the marine electronic device includes instructions to land on the marine vessel within one or more safe sectors corresponding to the marine vessel, wherein the one or more safe sectors are user-defined and provide travel approach options for the unmanned vehicle to approach and land on the marine vessel so as to avoid undesirable travel approach options for the unmanned vehicle.

13. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
determine the one or more objects or hazards at the desired location based on the received operational data; and
provide an alert to the marine electronic device based on the determined one or more objects or hazards.

14. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the received control signal includes instructions to cause the unmanned vehicle to travel ahead of the marine vessel so as to scout for the one or more objects or hazards ahead of the marine vessel.

15. A marine electronic device of a marine vessel travelling on a surface of a body of water and configured for control of an unmanned vehicle, the marine electronic device comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit instructions to the unmanned vehicle;
a receiver

Assignees

• Navico Holding As

Inventors

• Harnett Mark N
• Morrish Geoffrey
• Butterworth Paul
• Davis Alan Peter
• Isaacson Thomas E H
• Hawkins Jake

Classifications

• B64U80/84

  Waterborne vehicles · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• G05D1/223

  Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens · CPC title

• G05D1/689

  Pointing payloads towards fixed or moving targets (positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672) · CPC title